just-drinks is thrilled to welcome a new industry commentator to the fold. Until earlier this year, Ian Shackleton spent over 25 years as a beverages analyst with several major banks, including Credit Suisse, Lehman Brothers and Nomura. Now a principal at financial communications company Bell Pottinger, Ian will cast an analyst's eye each month over developments and issues affecting the drinks industry. This month, he looks at what the Trump effect could be, the prospects for the local spirits sector and the importance of the IR point-of-contact.

The latest report from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), assessing companies' efforts on water, reveals a strong representation from drinks companies among those companies the project considers to be leaders in water stewardship. Ben Cooper reports.

In Anheuser-Busch InBev's final set of quarterly results prior to its purchase of SABMiller, the brewer cut sales estimates for the year, after a third-quarter volumes drop in Brazil dragged down the nine-month performance.

Latest Interviews

Sanford Bernstein analyst Trevor Stirling is no stranger to the drinks industry. Having spent the late ‘90s as strategic planning director for Guinness Ireland, he then took on the role of packaged trade director at the company. He followed that by starting his own private-client wine merchant. In 2004, Stirling became an analyst at Bernstein, where he covers the major European brewing and spirits companies. Here, he talks to just-drinks about the role of an analyst, and how he sees the future of the drinks industry shaping up.

Andy Thomas moved up to the CEO position at Craft Brew Alliance in 2014, following several years in the company's commercial operations. Previously, he spent 12 years at Heineken USA - the last two of which were as unit president. Thomas's experience in big brewing has proved useful at CBA, as the company moves to deepen its ties with major shareholder Anheuser-Busch InBev. In part one of this two-part interview, Thomas provides insight into the latest deal, which gives AB InBev a staggered, qualified offer option to acquire CBA.

The president & CEO of Molson Coors has echoed comments made last week by Anheuser-Busch InBev's CEO, claiming that US beer consumers are striving to make sense of the array of options in the craft beer space.

The Coca-Cola Co has revealed a timetable for the acquisition and disposal of Anheuser-Busch InBev's newly-acquired stake in Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, telling just-drinks it aims to have a new partner in place by 2018.

An analyst has said that PepsiCo's beverage unit may be a more realistic target for Anheuser-Busch InBev than The Coca-Cola Co, as the brewer is expected to look outside of beer for its next acquisition.